Knitting machine



June 26, 1 934. 5 PAGE 1,964,673

' KNITTINGYMACHINE Original F iled Dec. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE June 26, 1934. A. E. PAGE KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fl 1 INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE Patented June 26, 1934 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACmNE Continuation tr application Serial No. 414,184, December lit, 1929. This application July 31.

1931, Serial No. 55%327 1141 claims. (Cl. 66-43) This invention relates to machines for knitting circular knit ribbed instep stockings having ribbed insteps and plain soles of different yarns and it is an object of this invention to provide a circular knitting machine for continuously knitting stockings of the type described. The invention will be shown and described incorporated in a machine such as that shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott, No. 1,641,554., dated Septemllll ber 6, 1927.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 14,184, filed December 14, 1929 in which the stocking shown and described is claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top View of part of a sinker cam ring suitable to carry out this invention; while Figure 2 is an elevation of this cam ring as seen from the front of the machine, with the to center dial knitting cam raised out of operative position;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of this same ring; Figure 4 is an elevation of the cam ring from the rear of the machine;

Figure 5 is a development of the inside of the cylinder cam ring;

Figure 6 is a sectional view from the top of the dial showing the cams which operate the dial needles;

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the various dial'and cylinder needles at the suture on either side of the stocking; while Figure 8 is a view of the stocking made according to this invention.

In accordance. with the invention iii the machine shown and described in the specification and drawings, the stocking is knit by the split foot method by the use of two sets of knitting cams and two yarn feeds, each set of knitting 40 cams knitting on its own series of needles with its own yarn. This arrangement makes use of needle butts of two lengths.

Referring to the drawings, the machine is a two feed machine with a special arrangement of 45 the needles and earns. The part of the needle cylinder which corresponds to the instep I of the stocking is equipped with long butt needles 0 and the corresponding part of the dial is equipped with long butt needles d, (see Fig. '7).

The cylinder knitting cams for the short butt needles are arranged in the following manner. At the usual knitting point, adjacent the throat plate 559 and yarn finger F,-there are the usual leading or right hand stitch cam 360, the follow- 55 ing or left hand stitch cam 361, the top center Bil .cam 357 and a lower center cam 356 in the cylinder cam ring 271. These cams are positioned to operate all needlesvthat may be intercepted by either the right or left hand stitch cam. In order to make this split foot stocking every series of W needles must'knit only once in each oscillation of the machine, i. e. revolution of the machine, and

it is therefore necessary that some means be provided to prevent either. set of needles knitting at both sets of knitting cams. In order that the '35 long butt needles may not knit at the regular knitting cams 360, 357 and 361, there are provided special raising and lowering cams 13 1, 1 35 also partially retracted from the needle cylinder so I they do not lie in the path of the short butts. to These channel cams raise the long butts above the regular knitting cams just as they approach thelatter and lower them again after they have passed them -this last movement beingnecessary to enable the long butt needles to enter their special set of knitting cams. The short butt needles are prevented from knitting at the series which knit the long butts because this latter series of knitting cams are partially retracted from the needle cylinder and therefore do not lie in the path of the short butts.

The cams for knitting the long butt cylinder needles are like the regular knitting cams of the ordinary machine and comprise the right and left hand stitch cams 126, 127 and a top center cam 125. These are all inserted for split foot and circular rib knitting. This movement can be obtained in any desired manner. The yarn is fed tothe long butt needles by a yarn finger F located in a throat plate 558 just above the cams. The arrangement of the dial knitting cams in the dial 'cam cap D is similar to that shown in theabove-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott,

it being necessary in knitting the foot to insert these cams only halfway in order that only the long butt dial needles, i. e. those corresponding to the instep, may knit. The needles are two part needles such .as shown in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott. The actual cams in the dial differ, however, from that in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott in that the cams of the patent were adapted to knit only during round-and-round knitting, whereas splitfoot knitting requires that the dial needles knit during both found-and-round and reciprocatory knitting. Therefore, in addition to the ordinaryrlial knitting cams 128, 129, 130, of Patent 1,641,554, a reverse set 131, 132, 133 is provided. This second set is placed adjacent and to theright of the first set as it appears in 110 Fig. 6. The dial cap is shifted around on each reverse stroke during reciprocation by suitable shifting means (not shown) so-that the second series of cams 131, 132, 133 occupy a reverse relation to the center cam 125 of the long butt needle knitting cams compared to the relation the dial knitting cam group 128, 129,130 occupy on the forward stroke. The positioning of cams 3,10, 311, 312'is determined by set screws 303 in lugs 304 on the cap 300 straddling a stationary post (not shown). The group 128, 129, 130 is in operable relation to the center cam 125 with the long butt cylinder needle group clearing on cam 126 and knitting on cam 127 when the machine is oscillating in the forward or roundand-round direction, while the second group 131, 132, 133 are in operable relation tothe center cam 125 so that said needle group clears on cam 127 and knits on cam 126 when the machine is moving in a reverse direction. In order that this arrangement may be operative it is necessary that only one of the two groups be lowered into engagement with the long butt dial needles at one time. The groups are therefore adapted to be raised by an appropriate lever actuated by the circumferential shifting of the sinker cam\ cap which accompanies the change of direction of movement of the cylinder and dial. There is the usual separating cam 14 in the dial cap. 4

It should also be noted that the series of needles in the needle cylinder and dial are so located circumferentially that the long butt needles are between the dotted lines 0 and P of Fig. 5, when 'the forward stroke is finished, i. e. they are at this time'solocated that when the machine begins to move in the reverse direct-ion the long butt needles will at once contact with the left hand instep knitting cams 127.

40 In order to cause knitting on the long butt instep needles at the special set of stitch cams 125, 126, 127, the machine is provided with short butt andlong butt sinkers corresponding to the segments of the needles in the cylinder and the sinker cam cap 300 is' provided with side cams 311, 312 and a special center sinker cam 310 which latter is shown in Fig. 2. The center sinker cam 310 is opposite the central stitch cam 125. The sinker may be like those used in the example shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott 1,641,554. This cam 310 issomewhat similar to the center sinker cam 307 which, with its side cams 308,309, cooperates with the regular stitch cams 360, 361 and 357, butit is mounted in a movable manner in order that it may be withdrawn from action when the machine is to make ordinary, thatis, plain round-and-round knitting and in the knitting of the heel and toe. This cam 310 is therefore carried at of a semicircular fiat spring 327 lying on top of the sinker cam cap, the ends of this spring being fastened to the top of the cap and the center being normally flexed upward as shown in Fig. 2. Vertical movement of the cam 310 can be obtained by any desired mechanism such for instance as shown inthe patent to Albert E. Page 1,685,860 dated Oct. 2, 1328 or the Scott Patent 1,641,554 previously referred to. The side cams 311, 312 associated with the cam 310 are pivoted at points 313 and. their inward movement is limited by eccentric buttons 314 and their outward movement is against the action of spring pressed plungers 315 .of adjustable tension as shown in the Scott patent. The cam 310 is of '75 such a height that when lowered. to operative the middle position for the ribbed instep it will engage only the long butt sinkers. I These sinkers not only knock over the stitches on the long butt cylinder needles but the toothed sinkers such as shown in the above-mentioned Robert W. Scott Patent 1,641,554 knock over the rib stitches. This cam 310 serves to knock over the rib stitches in this manner no matter in which direction the cylinder is-nioving. 4

In order that the stocking may be made with a selvedge startup each alternate needle is provided with a jack 380 running in a special cam path and acted on by the jack cam 366 shown in Fig. 5. The machine also has ardividing cam 4 located just prior to the point at which the jacks act on the needles. This cam acts to draw the jackless needles under the leading stitch cam in the well known manner. It leads the needles to the level 40 from the tucking level 41.

In order that the lines where the sole yarn ceases to be knit in may be of adequate strength the end sole and instep cylinder needles are reversed so that the last needle of each series is separated from the remainder of its series by one needle of the. other series. By means of thus lapping the cylinder needles at the junction between the long and short butt needles, the long butt dial needles are placed about two needles away from the suture line a-b (see Figure 7). Thus the last short butt dial needle d is between the isolated short butt cylinder needle needle 0 and the first non-isolated long butt cylinder needle rather than the two cylinder suture needles, thus making a strong structure.

There are the usual lifter picks 650 for making 110 the narrowed and widened segments of the toe' and heel. Instead of the single widening picker of the above-mentioned Scott Patent 1,641,554,

which operates'in both directions, there are a couple of widening picks 681, 682 each operating in one direction only. Y

The construction of the machine having been described, its operation will now be set forth. I shall assume that the stocking is being knit from toe T through the leg L to top. The dividing cam 4 is inserted which draws all the needles down to a level in which they would pass under the right hand stitch cam 360 without taking yarn if not moved up again, and the lower center cam 356 being in its upper or horizontal position it allows the needles to pass under it and below the left hand stitch cam 361. Every other needle, however, is raised by its jack 380 before it reaches the leading stitch cam 360 and it rides up over the leading stitch cam and takes yarn and knits, passing under the top center cam 357 and the left hand stitch cam 361 as usual. On thev next course the dividing cam 4 is withdrawn and all the needles therefore ride up over the leading stitch cam 360 and knit. This makes a selvedge startup. Loopers round are then knit in 'order that the stocking may be looped at the toe, after which the machine is ready to make the toe.

The switch cam 415 is then lowered and ins erted part way to a position where it raises all the long butt instep needles and immediately thereafter the machine-goes into reciprocatory knitting and makes the narrowed and widened segments of the toe T in the regular way. After the toe is completed the machine can be rotated for a few courses to make the well known ring toe. if desired. At the end of the toe the switch cam 415 is turned up and draws the long butt instep needles down again into active operation.

As a step preparatory to beginning the foot with 150 ribbed fabric on the instep, I prefer to make tuck stitches on the instep cylinder needles in order that these stitches may fill the eyelet holes which will be made by inserting the ribbed needles. These stitches are made on the jackless long'butt cylinder needles by inserting the dividing cam 4 for a single course and pivoting the lower center cam 356 about the point 7 down to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. In this way the necessary tuck stitches are made while the remainder of the needles are clearing and knitting afresh as usual.

As the first step in the actual shift to ribbed fabric on the instep I the long butt stitch or instep cams 125, 126, 127 are inserted to operative relation with the long butt cylinder needles 0 after the last long butt instep cylinder needle has passed the regular left hand stitch cam 361; Simultaneously the dial needle cams 128, 129, 130 which operate during the forward strokes are lowered to operative relation with the long butt dial needles d and the first course of ribbed instep fabric on the long butt needles is then knit. As the long butt cylinder and dial needles begin to leave their respective stitch cams the clutch is shifted to reciprocating knitting and the special raising or channel cams 134 and 135 are inserted to operative relation to the long butt needles. The movement of the cylinder in the forward direction ceases when the long butt needles lie between the lines 0 and P of Fig. 5 and the movement in reverse direction begins. As already ex-. plained both the pickers 650 are in their upper or inoperative position and therefore do not affect the long butt needles in the cylinder which latter are raised and lowered over the regular knitting cams by the channel cams 134 and 135. The short butt needles reach the regular left hand stitch cam 361 shortly after the movement in reverse direction begins and they clear their stitches and knit, passing over cam 361 and under cams 357 and 360. The long butt cylinder needles 0 are raised by the special left hand stitch cam 127 and drawn down by cams 125 and 126, but the short butt cylinder needles 0 do not knit on cams 125, 126, 127 because those cams are only inserted far enoughto contact with the long butt needles,

Simultaneously with the change indirection the dial needle cam cap D is shifted around circumferentially so that cams 131, 132, 133 are in the reversed position relatively to the special cylinder top center stitch cam 125 that dial cams 128, 129, 130 occupy when the machine is moving in the forward direction, and simultaneously the dial cams 128, 129, 130 are raised above the butts of the dial needles and the dial cams 131, 132, 133 are lowered into operative relation with the long butt needles (2. The stroke in reverse direction-continues until the long butt needles in both the cylinder and dial are once more between the lines 0 and P in Fig. 5 and the direction of travel is changed again. The sole S is of course being knit simultaneously on the short butt cylinder needles c e In this way split foot ribbed instep work is made with the special group of cylinder instep cams 125, 126, 127 knitting on the long butt cylinder needles only, and'the two groups of dial cams causing knitting on the long butt dial needles only.

This continues until the heel H is reached At the end of the last stroke in the reverse direction the dial knitting cams 131, 132, 133 are withdrawn but the other dial knitting cams 128, 129, 130 are not inserted. Simultaneously the stroke.

special cylinder knitting cams 125; 126, 127 are withdrawn and during the following stroke in the forward or round-and-round direction the switch cam 415 is lowered and inserted sufficiently to raise the long butt needles over the top center cam 357, the channel cams 134 and 135 being simultaneously withdrawn. The machine is now ready to begin the heel at the end of the stroke in the forward direction, the long butt cylinder needles being completely out of action. Reciprocatory knitting continues, the narrowing pickers 650 being dropped into action by lowering one of them into its notch in its stitch cam, and the heel knitted on the short butt needles on the stitch cams35'7, 361 and 360 as usual, the narrowing pickers 650 raising a needle at each end of the short butt group on every reciprocation. When thenarrowed segment of the heel is completed the widening pickers 681, 682" are brought into action and the widened segment of the heel is knit in the usual manner. At the completion of the heel the switch cam 415 is raised to draw down the long butt instep needles 0, the narrowing picker 650 which is down is raised out of action and the channel cams 134 and 135 are inserted on a forward This insertion of the channel cams is preparatory to the making of a partly ribbed and partly plain split foot suture ribbed fabric for a short distance above the heelH. On the next reverse stroke the ribbed knitting dial cams 131,

132, 133 and the special cylinder stitch cams 125, 126, 127 are inserted and fabric similar to the fabric of the foot is made for a short distance above the heel. The machine is then ready to shift to regular round-and-round knitting for the leg L.

Heretofore, owing to the fact that the amount of yarn necessary to knit a firm rib is not enough to make a firm fabric in the sole, the sole has been thinner than the ribbed instep. Now it is possible to make a ribbed instep stocking with a plain sole made of heavier yarn. Furthermore, it is possible to make the top of the stocking of higher grade yarn than the sole, and the sole can be made of different color than the instep.

The shift is made by withdrawing the channel cams 13 1, 135 as well as the stitch cam 361 and inserting the special split foot stitch cams 125, 126, 127 to operate all of the cylinder needles. When the special dial stitch cams 131, 132, 133 are withdrawn at the end of the reverse stroke the forward special stitch cams in the dial 128, 129, 130 are inserted all the way so that all the dial needles will knit, thus making ribbed fabric around the whole circle. the usual manner through the leg L and the welt as set forth, for instance, in the abovenientioned patent to Robert W. Scott 1,611,554. 1 It will be obvious that by means of thechannel cams 13 i and 135, the special stitch cams 131, 132, 133 and usual knitting cams 128, 129, 130 of the dial, in addition to the special stitch cams 125, 126, 127 for the cylinder needles it is possible to make a split foot stocking with a ribbed in step and having separate yarns used in the instep and sole.

I claim-- 1. In a knitting machine, means for knitting a ribbed instep of a stocking by reciprocating knitting and means for knitting a plain sole of Knitting proceeds in said stocking operative simultaneously therewith.

r guides feeding separate yarns to difierent knitting waves, said knitting waves simultaneously knitting ribbed and plain portions of a single course. 3. In a circular knitting machine, a plurality of sets of knitting cams cylinder and dial needles operated by said cams 'in a plurality of knitting waves, said cams operating co-operating groups of said cylinder and dial needles simultaneously during reciprocating knitting.

4. In a circular knitting machine, a plurality of sets of knitting cams arranged to form a knitting cams operating said dial needles.

6. In a circular knitting machine, cams arranged to form a knitting wave, cylinder needles operated thereby, dial needles cooperating with said cylinder nedles in the reciprocating knitting of a ribbed instep and cams operating said dial needles. b

- '7. In a circular knitting machine, cams arranged to form a knitting wave, cylinder needles operated thereby, dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles in the reciprocating knitting of a ribbed instep, cams operating said dial needles and means knitting a plain sole simultaneously with the knitting of said instep and joining said sole and instep.

8. In a circular knitting machine having dial needles, a plurality of sets of cams for operating said needles in reciprocating knitting, each set of cams being inoperative during a selected relative movement of said needles and cam sets.

9. In a knitting machine, needles, yarn guides supplying yarns to said needles, means operating to knit ribbed fabric by some of said needles in reciprocating knitting to knit a ribbed instep of a stocking oi one yarn and means operating others of said needles to simultaneously knit a plain sole of a separate yarn.

10. In a knitting machine, needles for knitting a ribbed instep of a stocking, needles for knitting a plain sole of said stocking, yarn guides for supplying separate yarns for said instep and sole, I

cams operating said instep needles to knit courses of said ribbed instep by reciprocating knitting and cams simultaneously operating said sole needles to knit courses of said sole.

11. In a circular knitting machine, cylinder needles, dial needles cooperating with some of said cylinder needles in knitting rib fabric, cams operating said cylinder and dial needles to knit rib fabric by reciprocatingknitting and cams operating others of said cylinder needles to knit plain fabric during the reciprocating knitting.

12. In a circular knitting machine, cylinder and dial needles cooperating in the knitting of ribbed fabric by circular knitting, cams for operating said needles and additional cams cooperating with said first mentioned cams in operating cylinder and dial needles to knit rib fabric by reciprocating knitting. n p

. 13. In a circular knitting machine, cylinder and dial needles cooperating in the knitting of ,a ribbed stocking leg by circular knitting, cams for operating said cylinder and dial needles to knit said stocking leg, additional camscooperating with said first mentioned cams to operate some of said cylinder and dial needles to knit a ribbed knitting, cams operating others or said needles as another group to knit a plain fabric simultaneously with said rib fabric.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

